Microsoft list of candidates to replace Steve Ballmer just grew by one Following the announcement that Steve Ballmer was stepping down as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft, the Redmond giant immediately began compiling a list of candidates to take over the reins, and then trimmed it down. Two names that made the cut and are viewed as frontrunners include Stephan Elop (ex-Nokia chief) and Alan Mulally (current Ford chief), though they’re not the only two. In fact, the list might even be growing, as Microsoft is said to now be considering Qualcomm’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Steve Mollenkopf as well